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The Sovereign Host
The Sovereign Host is the only confirmed 'pantheon' of Eberron. They are a marked contrast to the majority of deities in the rest of the D&D campaign worlds due to the fact that they are removed, distant, and uninvolved in the affairs of Eberron. This has lead some to speculate that the Sovereign Host does not actually exist and the power of clerics that worship them are provided by some other force. Others say this is unlikely due to the near universal nature of Sovereign Host worship across the world of Eberron. Worshipers of the Sovereign Host are called Vassals and they are divided across a wide variety of churches and organizations across Eberron. There is no central hierarchy to worship of the various gods of the Sovereign Host and practices vary tremendously between sects. The Sovereign Host is composed of nine gods but they formerly numbered thirteen before the casting out of four members of the Dark Six. The Traveler and the Shadow were not members of the Sovereign Host. The Shadow being the literal shadow of Aureon while the Traveler seems to have come from someplace else. The Sovereign Host does not have an afterlife that promises paradise to followers. Instead, it is believed that all souls go to Dolurrh the Plane of the Dead regardless of their virtue in life. A heresy of the Sovereign Host suggests that the plane will eventually be touched by their presence and it will become a paradise that the dead can enjoy. Worshipers do not give offering to the Host for a pleasant afterlife but instead for material gain in this life. The Sovereign Host is a great deal more tolerant of other religions than the militant followers of the Silver Flame. Worshippers of the Sovereign Host believe that all other deities are (mis)interpretations or corruptions of members of the Host or the Dark Six. In spite of this, certain militant sects like those of Dol Arrah or Dol Dorn have no problem with forced conversion. Another heresy of the Sovereign Host depicts them as Dragons rather than people. This view is widely loathed by the average Vassal of the Host, however in Argonessen there are some evidence suggesting that the Sovereign Host were originally founded on powerful dragons at the dawn of civilization.See Faiths of Eberron and Dragons of Eberron (citation needed) Major Doctrines The orthodox faith of the Sovereign Host recognizes two major doctrines: * The Doctrine of Universal Sovereignty '''(As is the world, so are the gods. As are the gods, so is the world.) Which basically says that the gods are always present in all things. * '''The Doctrine of the Divine Host (The Sovereign Host is one name, and speaks with one voice. The gods are the letters of that name, and the sounds of that voice.) Which affirms the unity of the will of the Host. Church Structure The Sovereign Host does not have a single leader. Instead, it is organized into multiple liturgical councils which each have control of religious matters for a single region. Regions can be nations or parts of nations, or even parts of cities. About 1 in every 20 or 30 priests is a member of a liturgical council. Every 10 years these liturgical councils meet to discuss questions of dogma and doctrine in a Grand Conclave. Variant Sects * Disciples * Hierocrats * Proxy Cults * Lesser Pantheons History Worship of the Sovereign Host is believed to have originated in eastern Sarlona, in the region of Pyrine. Pyrine is currently a bastion of the Path of Inspiration and is one of the most entirely converted regions of the Riedran Empire, but if the scholars and historians are to be believed, there are likely ruins and artifacts important to the faith still extant in Pyrine and its surrounding regions. Relationship with the Dark Six Officially, the Dark Six have been expelled from the Sovereign Host, but doctrine does not hold that they have been stripped of their divinity. As a result, many vassals of the Sovereign Host still make prayers to members of the Dark Six, though these are usually prayers of propitiation made out of fear, rather than prayers of worship. Even the oldest scripture makes references to "The Nine and Six and One", which seems to indicate that the division between Sovereign Host and the Dark Six predates the Schism. However, some contend that the original division was not the Sovereign Host and Dark Six, but of civilization gods and primal nature deities. This grouping is almost identical to the modern division, but has Arawai and Balinor swapping places with The Mockery and The Fury. Behind the Scenes The Sovereign Host seems to have been partially inspired by Greek and Roman pantheons of gods. References * Faith of Eberron * Dragons of eberron * Eberron campaign guide Sovereign Host, The Sovereign Host, The Sovereign Host, The Sovereign Host, The Sovereign Host, The Category:Religious Pantheons Category:The Age of Demons Category:Mythology